


Xenia, Agape, Eros

by smittenbritain



Series: RT Writing Community Secret Santa [5]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greece, Alternate Universe - Assassin's Creed Fusion, Demigods, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:54:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21833257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smittenbritain/pseuds/smittenbritain
Summary: Jeremy wakes up on an island called Kephallonia, with no idea of who he is or how he got there. When two kindly strangers take him back into town, he is taken in by a sweet, handsome blacksmith while he gets back on his feet.
Relationships: Alfredo Diaz/Jeremy Dooley
Series: RT Writing Community Secret Santa [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1441690
Comments: 10
Kudos: 96





	Xenia, Agape, Eros

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rebel_raven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebel_raven/gifts).



> This was written for the RT Writing Server's 2019 Secret Santa! My recipient is Cece - I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> The title is from three different Greek words for love:  
> Xenia - the concept of hospitality and generosity for those who are far from home  
> Agape - used to denote feelings for a spouse  
> Eros - intimate passion, sexual desire
> 
> Also, my knowledge is based entirely in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey. It's just an adaptation of the way the game presents Ancient Greece, so this is probably not very accurate at all, but hey!

All Jeremy knew was that he hurt. He ached all over, like he’d been hit by a speeding cart. The ground was firm and dusty beneath him, and when he coughed, a puff of it rose up around him, only to be caught by the breeze and whisked away. The sun beat down on him, and he realised that he’d already built up a fine layer of sweat from the heat, though he had no idea how long he’d been there. 

A gasp ripped out of his chest as he pushed himself upright. Pain seared up his side, and Jeremy reached down to clutch at it. 

He didn’t know what had happened. He didn’t know where he was, why he was there, or why his entire body was on fire. All Jeremy knew was that he was on the ground, it was hot, and he was in pain. If he was honest with himself, he wasn’t entirely sure he could actually stand up on his own two feet - he didn’t know if he even wanted to try.

Jeremy simply flopped down again and laid there in the dirt, breathing and taking in the distant scent of the sea.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed before he heard hoofbeats - or, more accurately, he first felt them vibrating through the earth. Little pebbles rattled next to his palms, bouncing in time like drums, gradually slowing as the riders came closer and caught sight of him. As they came to a complete standstill, Jeremy heard quiet murmuring, and then the thump of feet hitting the ground.

“Hey!” The voice was warm, friendly. “Are you okay?”

Jeremy forced himself up onto an elbow, though he quickly broke into a gasp again as pain flared up his ribs. All he could do was breathe for a moment, and then he croaked, “My side…”

The stranger approached, and he came to crouch next to Jeremy. His eyes were a warm brown, and he looked like he'd have a cheeky smile. “Gods, what happened to you?” he asked, frowning. “How’d you get here?”

“I…” Jeremy slowed, and then stopped. He just… drew a blank. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I just woke up here.”

A second figure appeared behind the first. He held the reins of two horses in his hands, and he wore a concerned frown. The corners of his eyes were crinkled with laughter lines. “Bandits, maybe?” he suggested. “Are you missing anything? Any possessions, or drachmae?”

“Drachmae…?”

“Coin,” the first man said, arching an eyebrow. “You know, to buy stuff with?”

Jeremy could only shake his head. “I don’t think I had any. I- I don’t remember anything.”

The two men shared a look, though Jeremy wasn’t sure what it meant. He didn’t even know if he should be scared of them - considering he didn’t know where he was, he had no idea if the local people were anything to be frightened of. Either way, whatever their intentions, it wasn’t like Jeremy had much on him, and he didn’t have a way to defend himself either. 

“Here, let’s take you back to town,” the second stranger offered, turning his attention to Jeremy now. “We know somewhere you can rest and heal up, and who knows, maybe you’ll remember some things when you’re feeling a little better.”

“Sounds like a better plan than staying in the dirt,” Jeremy replied, cracking a smile.

The first man chuckled. “Alright, so we’ve got a smartass. I think you’ll fit in just fine.” He slipped his arms under Jeremy’s knees and behind his shoulders, and carefully lifted him with a grunt. “I’m Geoff, by the way,” he said, strained, as he carried Jeremy over to the horses. “And this here’s Jack.”

“Nice to meet you,” Jack said, inclining his head. 

“You, too. I’m Jeremy.” He hissed between clenched teeth; the movement was making his torso ache again. Jack swung himself back up onto his horse, and with Geoff’s help, Jeremy scrambled up behind him. “Hey, where are we?”

“Kephallonia,” Geoff said, climbing into the saddle. “If you ask me, it’s the best place to be in Greece. Much fucking quieter than anywhere else, by the sounds of things.”

Kephallonia. 

Jeremy had hoped that it would ring a bell or two, but it didn’t remind him of anything. Something felt distantly familiar, like a name he had long forgotten, though the thought faded just as quickly as it had come, melting into the background of his mind once again as they set out towards a settlement in the distance.

* * *

Geoff and Jack took him to a little town, one that was surprisingly full of life. As they passed, people waved and greeted them just as warmly as the pair had introduced themselves to Jeremy. It was reassuring, and left Jeremy forgetting about as pain somewhat as he drank in all of the life around them: the stalls, the shops, the chatter, the cries of farm animals for sale. It struck a chord deep inside Jeremy’s chest, though he wasn’t sure why.

“Where are we going?” he asked, leaning forwards to peer over Jack’s shoulder.

“We’re headed to a friend’s shop,” Jack explained. “He’s a blacksmith, he’s got plenty of room for you and he’d be happy to help. I’m sure he’d be grateful for an extra set of hands once you’re better, too. As long as you want to stick around, anyway.”

“I don’t think I know how to do that stuff,” Jeremy said sheepishly. “I’d probably just get in the way.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Alfredo's a great teacher. He’s helped me make my own stuff before, he’ll show you how it’s done.”

They turned a corner to head down a side street. Jeremy could already hear the clanging of a hammer and an anvil; Jeremy perked up despite his injury as the ringing sound called to him, urging him closer. _That_ felt familiar, like a hook had settled behind his navel and was physically reeling him in. He could almost feel the ache in his arms after a long, hard day of working, honing weapons until they were perfect…

Jeremy shook his head, clearing it of the scent of smoke and hot metal.

Maybe he wouldn’t have such a problem with metalwork after all. 

They rounded another corner, and the blacksmith’s came into view. It was a humble little shopfront with a reasonably sized building behind it. Out front, under a canopy, there was the anvil Jeremy had heard, and the man working it had his back to them; all he could see was the strain of his arms as he swung, and the way the tie on his apron pulled taut every time he twisted. 

“Alfredo!” Geoff called, raising a hand to wave when the blacksmith turned.

Alfredo was handsome - that much was immediately obvious. The realisation brought colour to Jeremy’s cheeks before he could even try to steady himself, and even worse, Alfredo glanced towards him curiously when Geoff and Jack drew up alongside his shop. Shit.

“This is Jeremy,” Geoff explained, jerking his thumb back at Jack’s horse. “We found him collapsed out on the road into town. We were wondering if he could stay in your spare room while he recovers? That, and you’re the best person I know to ask for medicine.”

“Medicine?” Alfredo reached for a rag and wiped off his sooty hands. “What’s wrong?”

“My ribs,” Jeremy said. He gently tapped his side, and he winced even at the light brush. 

“Can I look?”

“Sure.”

Alfredo reached up to lift the edge of Jeremy’s shirt. A shiver ran across Jeremy’s skin, even in the warmth of broad daylight. Quietly, Alfredo made a sympathetic hissing sound when he saw the bruising spanning Jeremy’s side, and he quickly let his shirt drop again. “Yeah, looks like you might’ve broken one. Let’s get you inside and wrapped up. Could you guys get him down while I clean up?”

He wandered off into his house, leaving Geoff and Jack to ease Jeremy down from the horse again. No matter how gentle they were, Jeremy still ended up gasping when he was upright again, and leaning heavily on Geoff as he led him inside.

It was cooler in here, something that Jeremy was grateful for; the sun was nice, but the break was even better. Geoff steered him towards a doorway in the back of the little living room, and nudged him down onto the edge of a bed. Jeremy sat down gratefully, heaving a sigh as he took the weight off of his feet again; it felt good to be up, but by the gods, it had thoroughly tired him out.

The room - his room, Jeremy assumed, if Alfredo was going to allow him to stay - was a humble little thing, without much decoration to its name. The only real furniture was the bed, coupled with a stool in the corner. There was a window to the outside, through which, Jeremy could see the rolling hills of Kephallonia and, in the distance, the giant statue of Zeus. Something tingled at the base of Jeremy’s skull at the magnificent sight.

His spell was broken when Alfredo came back into the room, and a different one resumed.

Alfredo dragged the stool over to Jeremy’s bedside, where he sat, supplies in hand. Jack and Geoff lingered in the doorway, though Jeremy’s focus was solely on the man in front of him. “We’ll need to get your shirt off so I can have a better look,” Alfredo said, looking up from the bandages in his lap to meet Jeremy’s eyes. “Is that okay?”

Jeremy’s stomach flipped inside him. “Yeah, that’s okay.” 

With much wincing and flinching, Jeremy tugged his shirt over his head. Alfredo folded it neatly onto the bed next to him, and then leaned forwards, brushing his fingers over the bruising spanning Jeremy’s ribs as he studied it. “Looks like you took a pretty hard fall,” he murmured. Was he looking up at Jeremy through his eyelashes on _purpose?_ “What happened?”

“I- I don’t know,” Jeremy stammered. 

“We just found him,” Geoff said. “Almost like he’d rolled down Mount Ainos.” He raised an eyebrow at Jeremy. “You didn’t roll yourself down Mount Ainos, did you?”

“I don’t even know where Mount Ainos is,” Jeremy replied. He clamped his teeth together when Alfredo touched his bruises, a little more firmly, to rub some ointment into his skin.

Geoff nodded out the window, towards the imposing figure of Zeus up on the hill. “Up there.”

Again, a note struck in Jeremy’s chest like a plucked guitar string. Oddly, he almost felt like he _had_ fallen down from Mount Ainos, but he wasn’t about to admit that, not with the way that Geoff was looking at him. Instead of thinking too hard about it, Jeremy closed his eyes under the pretence of pain as Alfredo unrolled a long, long piece of cloth to bandage his torso with.

“For now, let’s focus on down here on solid ground,” Alfredo said dryly, carefully guiding one end around Jeremy’s middle. “You can stay if you’d like, Jeremy. I’m not very exciting, but you’ll have somewhere to recover.”

“That’d be great,” Jeremy said. He lifted his arms a little higher for Alfredo, ignoring the way it made his side twinge. “Thank you. I don’t have any way to repay you, though.”

Alfredo just shrugged a shoulder. “Eh, don’t worry about it. I think considering the circumstances, we can forget any payment.” He shot Jeremy a grin as he tucked in the end of the bandage. “There you go, all done. We’ll let you get some rest now, you look like you could use it. I’ll bring in some food later.”

“Thanks for picking me up again,” Jeremy said, raising a hand to wave to Geoff and Jack. “I owe you.”

“Nah, you don’t owe us,” Jack assured him. “Or, you know, maybe you could help Alfredo forge me a new sword or something next time I need one.”

They filtered out then with cheerful waves, and Jeremy was left to sink into the mattress. The pillows were, admittedly, very soft and comfortable despite how simple they looked. Jeremy didn’t expect to feel as suddenly sleepy as he did, but before he knew it, he’d dozed off in the gentle heat as the sounds of a hammer and an anvil rang in the back of his mind.

* * *

That first night, Alfredo returned with food in hand, as he’d promised, and to Jeremy’s surprise - and delight - he sat down on that stool again to have dinner with him. They simply talked, and Alfredo told him about his life there on Kephallonia.

He was, as Jeremy had already learned, a blacksmith, and he took great pride in his work. Alfredo admitted that he wasn’t one for really worshipping the gods like many others did, but he did give credit to Hephaestus for his ability with his craft (and when he spoke the god’s name, Jeremy couldn’t help but sit up a little straighter, almost like he feared the god himself might be listening). Jeremy also learned that Alfredo had spent most of his life honing his skills, and while he’d thought a few times about moving somewhere that might appreciate it more - Athens, maybe - he didn’t want to be forced to work for any kind of war. That, he explained, was why he’d remained on Kephallonia, so he could continue to make tools for those who really needed them, not weapons that would be lost to nameless soldiers.

It was something to be admired, Jeremy thought. There would be so much money waiting for Alfredo in Athens, and yet he chose to stay here, on this tiny island, unconcerned with the war raging on in the rest of Greece.

Alfredo left him once night drew in. He laid a cup of water at Jeremy’s bedside, wished him goodnight, and then retired to his own room. Even when the sun had set, the temperature was still balmy enough to make Jeremy sweat, but he still felt a little unpleasantly cold without Alfredo's presence next to him. Despite that, sleep came quickly again, dragging Jeremy down into unconsciousness.

* * *

“That’s… strange.”

“What’s strange?”

“Your ribs…”

Several days had passed, during which Jeremy had gathered enough strength to spend time with Alfredo while he worked. He felt better for being near the blacksmith at work, as though the very scent of the smoke helped his recovery along; the pain was almost non-existent now, though Jeremy still moved gingerly so he didn’t jostle himself. Every night, Alfredo had carefully cleansed his ribs, added more ointment, and replaced his bandages, though he hadn’t commented on his progress until now, a week in.

Jeremy, who had been staring out of the window at the great statue of Zeus, looked down. “What about my ribs?”

“Have you been hurting today?”

“No…?”

“Huh.”

“Alfredo.” Jeremy frowned down at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Alfredo assured him. He brushed his fingers lightly across Jeremy’s skin - which, he now saw, was pink again, with no trace of a purple bruise in sight. “That’s the thing. You look fine, you haven’t been in any pain…”

Jeremy shrugged - and, of course, it didn’t hurt. “Maybe you’re just a really good healer. Did you ever think about becoming a doctor instead of a blacksmith?”

Usually, Jeremy could get an easy laugh out of Alfredo. This time, when he met his eyes, he only saw a confused frown. “Jeremy, this should’ve taken weeks to heal,” he said slowly. “There’s no way you should be better yet, not with how it looked when we first met.” Alfredo touched his side again; a shiver ran across Jeremy’s skin. “You look like you were never even hurt.”

“Maybe it was just bruising?”

“Maybe.”

Still frowning, Alfredo wadded up the used bandages into a little ball. “Well, it looks like you won’t need these anymore. Seems like you’re all good to go, so if you have somewhere to be-”

“I don’t,” Jeremy interrupted. He didn’t like the way Alfredo sounded now - like that was the beginning of a goodbye. “Besides, I want to repay your kindness.”

Alfredo huffed a quiet laugh. “You don’t have to do that, it was a pleasure to have you here.”

“I still don’t remember anything,” Jeremy reminded him. “I wouldn’t have anywhere to go. I don’t even know where Geoff or Jack live, and it sounds like neither of them had any room for a random stranger anyway.” Gently, Jeremy nudged Alfredo's knee with his own. “I want to stay, if you’ll let me. I can cook, I can learn to help you make stuff.” He looked away as words just kept coming, tumbling over one another in their rush to get out of him. “I also actually like being here, and being around you.”

Alfredo's hand landed on his leg in a fond pat. It sent a thrill up Jeremy’s spine. “I like having you around, too,” he admitted quietly. “Please don’t stay out of any obligation, though.”

“It’s not out of obligation,” Jeremy promised - and, after a moment of deliberation, he let his hand come to rest on top of Alfredo's . “I want to.”

Alfredo's hand was warm underneath his, warm and lined with the occasional burn scar. It must’ve been from catching himself in the past, Jeremy thought, maybe when he was initially learning to work with fire and metal. Absentmindedly, his thumb traced one of the paler patches of skin, following its path from knuckle to knuckle-

“Your training starts tomorrow then,” Alfredo said abruptly. He stood and cleared his throat; were his cheeks pink? If they were, Alfredo seemed to be ignoring it, though his smile seemed a little too wide and almost startled, in a way. “I’ll see you nice and early.”

“I’ll make us breakfast,” Jeremy offered. His fingers linked together in his lap, almost like he needed to stop them from reaching for Alfredo's again. 

After a quick goodnight exchange, Alfredo was gone again, and Jeremy buried his head in his hands with a quiet groan. 

He’d fallen too hard and too fast, but it was too late now. Jeremy was in too deep, and he wasn’t about to dig himself out again, not when being here, with Alfredo, felt so _right._

* * *

To the surprise of both of them, Jeremy didn’t need much training.

Alfredo started slow, walking through the motions while Jeremy watched, but before it was even midday, Jeremy was heating lengths of metal in the back while Alfredo worked at the anvil, hammering them into shape. It had come to Jeremy naturally, as easily as a bird took to the air or a fish swam in the sea. The process simply felt as easy as breathing to Jeremy, and it meant that the two of them made a fluid team almost instantly. It was satisfying too, carefully handing Alfredo what he needed and taking things back in return; they barely even needed to speak, but they did simply to hear the other’s voice and laughter.

“You’re good at this,” Alfredo said, nodding towards Jeremy when they paused to take a break. A happy customer wandered off with her new sickle, shining in the bright sun. “Are you sure you weren’t a blacksmith before you fell down Mount Ainos?”

“Maybe I was, but I definitely didn’t fall down Mount Ainos,” Jeremy laughed. He took off his gloves and leaned against a cool patch of counter, appreciating the way it soothed his sweaty palms. Alfredo mirrored him, folding his arms across his chest in a way that was far too distracting; it drew Jeremy’s eyes to the bulge of muscle, not only there but at his shoulders, too. 

He didn’t even realise he’d missed Alfredo's words until he heard him say his name.

“Sorry, sorry,” Jeremy said, shaking his head. “What did you say?”

“Are you okay?” Alfredo asked, raising an eyebrow. “Is the sun getting to you?”

“No, I’m fine,” he promised. He felt his cheeks burn, though he hoped Alfredo would simply put it down to the temperature under the awning; even with some shade, the combination of a hot day and the blacksmithing ovens was a brutal one. “What were we talking about?”

Alfredo shook his head, an amused smile on his face. “Never mind. Have any actual memories come back yet?”

“Nope. Unless you count my random ability to make shit.”

“I mean, you could probably count that.” Alfredo looked away, his gaze flickering out across the beautiful view of the rolling hills behind his little house. “Hey, I know it’s a little late tonight, but how about tomorrow we go out somewhere else to eat dinner?”

Jeremy grinned at him. “Sounds fun. I was getting a little curious about what else was here.”

“There’s not much,” Alfredo admitted, chuckling, “but there’s enough. Come on, I know there’s one more person showing up today, and then we can close up.”

Eagerly, Jeremy got back to work, sliding back into the familiar routine of blacksmithing. It was amazing how far he’d come in one day; Jeremy made a mental note to thank Hephaestus later for blessing him with such natural ability, or at least allowing him to keep his muscle memory when he had forgotten everything else. 

* * *

The following evening saw an excitable, bouncy Jeremy. The promise of more put a spring in his step, even more than he already had from a fun day of work. Thanks to a busy day, they ended up closing a little later than intended, just as the sun was beginning its descent. It also made the temperature a little more tolerable, to Jeremy’s relief; as much as he wanted to spend more time with Alfredo - doing something _with_ Alfredo - he was also tired of being too hot today. He wanted some of the coolness that the evening always brought, and maybe a sip of some cold water.

As it turned out, that wasn’t far off of what Alfredo had planned. Once they had bathed and changed clothes - clothes that Alfredo had given Jeremy, and then they had purchased him some that actually fit with a little spare drachmae - Alfredo gently took him by the hand and led him further into their little town.

It was still lively, despite the fact that the sun was setting. Trades and shops had closed up for the night, but the few places one could buy a meal were only just opening. Initially, Jeremy thought that Alfredo was about to take him to one of them, but Alfredo shot him a mischievous little smile and only paused at one to pick up a basket.

“What’s in there?” Jeremy asked, reaching for the blanket on top.

Alfredo lifted it away from his prying fingers, grinning. “You’ll see,” he said. “We’re not done walking yet.”

“I’ve been on my feet all day, though, c’mon.”

“And you looked like you were having a blast.” Alfredo squeezed his hand. Lightning sparked along Jeremy’s nerves. “It’s not far, I promise.”

And so they continued to walk along the dirt path that wound through the town, out to the outskirts where Jeremy had been discovered, and just a little further beyond that. As they rose up a slight incline, the beautiful sight of the sea became more readily visible; under the beginnings of the moonlight, it lapped at the sandy shore lazily, only to ripple backwards again moments later. Ships big and small were docked for the night, tied down to keep from rocking too much. Not a person was in sight.

Jeremy was so enthralled that he almost didn’t notice how far they were walking. As they fell under the shadow of the statue of Zeus, Jeremy felt a tingle at the base of his skull, and he paused for a moment just to stare up at it.

The eyes seemed to glint, just for a second - though that was _impossible,_ considering it was made of stone.

Alfredo’s hand tugged gently at his own. “Jeremy?”

He shook his head, clearing it of the odd fog that had descended on him. “Yeah, I’m coming. Sorry, got a little distracted there.”

“Well, Zeus is a handsome man,” Alfredo teased, bumping his shoulders against Jeremy’s playfully. “I won’t be jealous if he catches your eye.”

Jeremy barked out a laugh, high and surprised. “By the gods, no, I wasn’t admiring him.” Something about that felt strange, almost like Alfredo had teased him about a fake crush on an old friend. “I don’t know, I was just getting a better look now we’re closer.”

“Sure,” Alfredo chuckled, still grinning, “whatever you say.”

“Where are we going, anyway?” Jeremy asked. He was smiling too, but figured he’d better nudge Alfredo along. “I thought you said it wasn’t too far out of town?”

“It’s not,” Alfredo said simply. “We’re here.”

‘Here’ was a little grassy cliff overlooking one of the bays of Kephallonia, the ocean glittering with reflections of stars now. Alfredo dropped his hand to set down the blanket, and in the process, revealed the stash of food that had been hidden underneath. It all looked - and smelled - freshly made, and there was even a jug with water sloshing around inside it. 

It was a picnic, one that Alfredo had planned and prepared, and Jeremy’s heart swooped in his chest.

Alfredo knelt on the blanket, then looked up at Jeremy with a fond little smile as he patted the space next to him. “Come sit with me?”

Jeremy didn’t want to be anywhere else.

He sunk gratefully down onto the blanket with Alfredo, took the offered first bite of a warm bread roll, and allowed his fingers to link with Alfredo's again as they sat there beneath the stars. It was peaceful - a perfect first date, really, with how intimate it felt even out here where anyone could walk by. They were alone, though, and safe inside their own bubble.

It felt like Zeus was watching them, but Jeremy decided to ignore him. If Zeus wanted his attention so badly, then he could come and talk to Jeremy himself. 

Besides, what could Zeus possibly want from him?

* * *

They didn’t talk about the date, but it definitely changed some things.

For Jeremy, it actually changed _two_ things.

Firstly, there was the obvious: his relationship with Alfredo. Their days were filled with gentle touches now, their fingers brushing more deliberately whenever one passed something to the other. They sat closer together when they shared a meal, elbows bumping clumsily and making them laugh. In the evenings, before they said their goodnights, they lingered for too long in Jeremy’s doorway, neither of them willing or able to make the first jump just yet.

Secondly, Jeremy hadn’t stopped thinking about Zeus and, more importantly, the existence of the gods.

He was starting to believe that they really did exist, judging by how quickly he’d picked up blacksmithing and the effect the statue was having on him. Every time he stared at it for too long, a prickling started up in Jeremy’s spine, giving him the feeling that Zeus - or some other god, maybe - was watching. That coupled with how _powerful_ and natural working in Alfredo's shop felt, was convincing enough to have Jeremy watching out for other signs.

Then there was the matter of memories trickling back whenever he did one of those two things. Hephaestus had given him power, and Zeus had reminded him of that. 

Day by day, fuzzy thoughts began returning to him, though Jeremy couldn’t make sense of them. He remembered two faces - one with curly hair and a wicked grin, one with a neat beard and a glint in his eyes - though he couldn’t recall their names. He just knew that they were significant to him in some way, though whether they were god or mortal, Jeremy didn’t know.

So then, there remained one simple question: did the gods have something to do with his memory loss?

He had no idea.

* * *

The weeks passed, melting into months. Jeremy’s memories trickled back one by one, though he still couldn’t piece them together. For the most part, Jeremy kept it to himself rather than tell Alfredo; there was no coherent story there to tell anyway, nothing that explained any of the questions either of them had, so he figured it simply wasn’t worth telling. A small part of him also worried that it might shatter the fragile thing he and Alfredo shared, and he didn’t want anything to put that at risk - not even if it explained his past. 

The summer continued on despite Jeremy’s troubles, and the heat reached almost unbearable heights with no signs of stopping anytime soon. It made it difficult to work next to a hot oven all day, but Jeremy basked in the challenge of it, and he relished the brief reprieve he got every time he plunged a tool into the barrel of water next to him. The steam that rose up from it was painfully hot, but Jeremy relished it, and he grinned every time when he heard the angry hiss that meant this project was nearly complete. 

Still, by the end of every day, Jeremy was too hot to do much more than take the first seat he could find. Annoyingly, Alfredo somehow made being sweaty look good; the flush in his cheeks and the way his hair was starting to get a little out of hand had awoken something in Jeremy, and it had haunted him for many a lonely night. It still haunted him now as he watched Alfredo put out the fire; he somehow managed to make even that simple action look attractive. 

Alfredo's voice startled him out of his staring. “Hm?”

“I said, I’m going to bathe,” Alfredo said, jerking his thumb towards the house. “It’s cool water, but it’s refreshing. Would you like to join me?”

Jeremy’s cheeks heated. Kephallonia didn’t have any public baths - the island was too small to have anything like that, with the amount of people it needed to keep running hot; the people of Kephallonia had their own business to attend to. Because of that, Alfredo's offer was a little more unusual, and the thought of seeing him bare had Jeremy scrambling for a way to excuse himself.

But on the other hand, Alfredo watched him, his hand extended, like he was making more than just the suggestion of getting themselves clean.

So, naturally, Jeremy took his hand.

Alfredo tugged him inside, lacing their fingers together as they crossed the threshold. He left Jeremy for a moment to retrieve a pot of water that had been tucked in the corner of a room, left in a shadow to try to preserve the temperature, and then he placed it on the table where they had shared so many dinners together. Two rags were set beside it.

And then Alfredo began to strip. 

Jeremy almost swallowed his tongue when Alfredo casually pulled his shirt over his head, folded it, and laid it across one of the chairs. He couldn’t help glancing at his torso (just a little definition, his stomach somehow still a little soft despite his heavy work all day), but he quickly ripped his gaze away again out of respect. Jeremy knew he was was blushing, and he elected to ignore it, instead focusing on undressing himself.

When he’d folded his last piece of clothing over the other chair, he looked Alfredo's way again, and froze when he met Alfredo's eyes. He was also naked now, and a blush that had nothing to do with the temperature had crept onto Alfredo's cheeks.

“Here,” Alfredo said, offering Jeremy one of the rags. His voice cracked on the single word.

“Thanks.” Jeremy took it, and busied himself with dipping it into the water. He could feel the heat from Alfredo's body next to him, and he ached to reach out and just _touch._

Instead, Jeremy swiped the rag across his skin to begin cleaning himself off. He heard Alfredo do the same next to him, and for the moment, they were simply occupied by the soft sound of cloth against skin as they bathed. The simple, repetitive motion helped Jeremy to centre his thoughts again, and he took one steady breath after another as he worked across his body, just to maintain it as he crouched to get his calves. 

When he straightened up again, Alfredo was stood there, waiting, looking a little uncertain.

“You okay?” Jeremy asked.

“I’m fine,” Alfredo assured him. “Just, uh… you get my back, I’ll get yours?”

Well, then. All of that steady breathing went out of the window.

“Sure.”

Alfredo handed Jeremy his rag, and he turned around to present his back to him. Jeremy took his time with the rag first, dipping it into the pot again and thoroughly wringing it out. All the while, Alfredo waited patiently for him, saying nothing as the water droplets noisily fell back into the pot. Then, once it was thoroughly damp - not soaking and dripping - Jeremy lifted it to begin working on Alfredo’s back.

Alfredo's shoulders sagged at the first touch. As Jeremy applied a little more pressure, Alfredo sighed, and with each following press, he seemed to relax a little more. Jeremy was almost tempted to get his other hand involved just to massage his shoulders when Alfredo was making those kinds of sounds, but he tucked it behind his back and bit his tongue, forcing himself to focus on the basic task: clean Alfredo's back, and prepare for Alfredo to do his.

It was more intimate than Jeremy had bargained for, and they weren’t even halfway yet.

He didn’t go further than Alfredo's lower back. Once he made it that far, Jeremy ran the cloth up Alfredo's spine again, and then finished at his shoulder. He gave it a squeeze to let Alfredo know that he was done, and took a step back as he rinsed the cloth.

Warmth at his side let him know that Alfredo had come closer anyway. “You want a turn?” he asked.

Jeremy knew he was only going to screw himself over with this, but fuck it. “Sure,” he said, dropping Alfredo's rag in favour of offering his own. “Here you go.”

And so they repeated the process all over again, only this time, Jeremy’s nerves were on fire.

His skin tingled in the wake of Alfredo's touch, and he was less shy about using his other hand simply to steady Jeremy as he worked. It held onto his arm, idly squeezing here and there, and Jeremy firmly closed his eyes to try and press down on the sudden spike of _want_ that flowed through him from the touch. He had no idea where it was coming from - this wasn’t exactly the sexiest of situations - but Jeremy found himself trying to think of simple things in an attempt to ignore it. 

Mount Ainos. The sea. Their little town.

Damn it. It wasn’t working.

He wanted to kiss Alfredo. He wanted to kiss him and touch him and forget about the passage of time with him. These summer months had been so easy, so comfortable, and Jeremy wanted to stay - not just here, but stay _with_ Alfredo.

He didn’t think it through; Jeremy wasn’t always a fan of thinking through plans. He simply turned and rocked up onto his toes to press his mouth against Alfredo's.

For a moment, Alfredo was still, the rag still hovering where it had been pressed against Jeremy’s back moments ago. Jeremy was about to pull away and begin apologising - he was certain he’d read things correctly, but maybe he’d been so very, very wrong - but then he heard the rag fall to the floor with a wet slap. Alfredo's hands found their way to Jeremy’s shoulders, and they lingered there, lightly touching and exploring, as he kissed Jeremy back.

Jeremy’s heart fluttered wildly in his chest. _Alfredo was kissing him back._

All of his worrying and doubting slipped away. His hands settled on Alfredo's waist, and they jumped briefly before staying; he’d forgotten that they were both still naked. It didn’t help that they were still kissing, and neither of them showed any sign of wanting to stop. A lazy pulse of heat wound its way down to his stomach, and it curled up there, heavy and full of promise.

Jeremy was in trouble, to say the least - but he wanted more.

When Alfredo broke the kiss, though, Jeremy didn’t push. He gasped for air, blinking a couple of times to refocus on Alfredo's face.

He was gorgeously flushed. It was a good look on him.

“Do you-” Alfredo stopped, and then started again as he tripped up over his own words. “I- we can continue, if you’d like. Maybe somewhere more comfortable?”

The implications of that set Jeremy’s pulse racing. Alfredo had nodded towards his own bedroom, and just the thought of it stoked that fire in his belly again. 

“Only if you want to,” Alfredo added, rushing the words out. “We can stop if you want, that’s okay.”

Jeremy reached for his hand as a breathless laugh tumbled off of his tongue. “Alfredo, I absolutely want to. I’m just… pretty fucking amazed, honestly. Didn’t think this would happen.”

Alfredo squeezed his fingers where they were linked together. “Jeremy, you’re perfect,” Alfredosaid. “I’ve admired you since the day you fell down Mount Ainos.”

Jeremy laughed and rolled his eyes. “Again with the falling down Mount Ainos thing.”

“Well, I figured teasing you couldn’t hurt my chances too much.” Alfredo beamed at him. There was a sparkle of humour in his eyes, and Jeremy felt himself falling for Alfredo all over again.

“It doesn’t,” he promised him, still chuckling. “Just makes me want to kiss you again, actually.”

He watched as Alfredo's playful smile turned into more of a cheeky smirk. Jeremy’s stomach flipped inside him. “Then shall we relocate?” Alfredo asked, inclining his head towards his bedroom.

Rather than properly reply, Jeremy simply leaned up to kiss Alfredo again, hard. He grinned against his lips as Alfredo stumbled a little, then laughed into the kiss. 

It was exhilarating to feel Alfred against him as they clumsily made their way towards his bed. It was almost a prequel to what was about to happen; they paused here and there simply to kiss and to hold each other; Jeremy had already started to map out the shape of Alfredo's hips and sides, committing them to memory. 

Alfredo was the one who guided them towards the bed - Jeremy had respected his privacy and avoided going into Alfredo’s room, for the most part - and he playfully shoved Jeremy back onto it. Rather than let Alfredo get one over on him, Jeremy tugged him down with him, laughing when Alfredo yelped as he tumbled down after him. He caught himself on his elbows, hovering above Jeremy, and he could feel Alfredo smiling as they met in yet another kiss; now that they’d started, Jeremy simply didn’t want to stop kissing Alfredo. Surely, this too was the work of the gods, because nothing else was this good.

Before Alfredo could get too comfortable above Jeremy, he hooked his leg around Alfredo’s waist to roll them both over. In his head, it had been smooth and sexy, but in reality, it was more of a tumble, and there was a bit of readjusting to go with it. Still, Alfredo was smiling and eager, so Jeremy laughed it off with him.

“Nice try,” Alfredo said, wryly. 

“Hey, it worked!”

It left Jeremy above Alfredo now, settled comfortably between his legs - which was exactly where he wanted to be. While he wasn’t trying to be a tease right now, their hips were lined up just right; if Jeremy moved, he knew it would set them both off. He could feel how hard Alfredo was with the way he was pressed against his hip, and as Jeremy turned his attention south, his humour faded, replaced by pure and simple want.

Alfredo seemed to be thinking along the same lines. He grasped at Jeremy’s shoulders to pull him down, pressing their lips together again. Jeremy twitched his hips forwards almost accidentally, but Alfredo let out a low noise into the kiss for his efforts, and then it was all over for Jeremy.

He rocked again, and Alfredo broke the kiss with a gasp. It didn’t matter that Jeremy was being clumsy, or that neither of them were lined up properly; the way Alfredo dropped his head back against the pillow and pulled Jeremy closer was worth every second. Every slow grind had Alfredo's breath hitching in a moan that set every one of Jeremy’s nerve endings on fire, and it only drove him to hear that sound again, and again. 

As he kissed his way along Alfredo's scruffy jaw, Jeremy separated their hips just slightly. Alfredo started to make a noise of complaint, but then broke into another hiss when Jeremy wrapped his hand around both of their dicks and _squeezed._

That, coupled with Alfredo's noises, well. Jeremy saw stars.

“Please,” Alfredo gasped, clumsily cupping Jeremy’s cheek to draw him in for a kiss. “Please, keep going, shit…”

Jeremy muffled a groan of his own into the kiss as he picked up the pace. It felt too perfect, too amazing - too wonderful to work out all of their built up desire in one moment. Though, Jeremy hoped that there would be other moments, both hotter and softer, whenever they had time to spare. 

He wanted _all_ of Alfredo, not just this.

Alfredo bucked up into his hand, hard. He almost bucked Jeremy off, and he would’ve giggled if he wasn’t so wrapped up in how Alfredo sounded. “Jeremy,” Alfredo breathed, his hand skittering over Jeremy’s shoulder until he found a spot to latch onto. “Jeremy, I’m gonna come, ah…”

A shiver wracked Jeremy’s frame. “Holy shit, Alfredo…”

“I’m close,” Alfredo whined, clutching his shoulder tighter - almost enough to hurt, but Jeremy didn’t care. “I’m so close, I’m- ah!”

Alfredo dropped his head back against the mattress, lips parted as a shuddery gasp fought its way up through his chest. Jeremy propped himself up on one arm to watch him, but he kept stroking quickly, determined to wring out every last bit of pleasure for Alfredo - and it was just so damn hot that Jeremy was spiralling towards his own peak, too. His own orgasm came over him just as Alfredo was settling again; Jeremy bowed his head with a moan, and he jerked as he spilled over his fist. Distantly, he felt Alfredo's palms smoothing over his back, and he felt more than heard him murmuring in his ear as he came down again.

They stayed like that for a moment, breathing heavily and holding each other. Jeremy pressed a few kisses to the corner of Alfredo's jaw, simply to idly share affection. It soothed the last of Jeremy’s frazzled mind, helping him to relax into Alfredo's arms.

Until he realised how sticky they both were.

Jeremy wrinkled his nose. “Time for another bath?”

Alfredo laughed. He felt the rumble of it through his own chest where they were pressed together from head to toe. “Time for another bath,” he agreed. “Worth it, though.”

“Definitely worth it.” 

Before Jeremy got up, he held himself up on his elbows again so he could see Alfredo's face. He held his gaze for a moment, and then dipped his head to kiss him, slow and sweet. 

Alfredo returned it immediately, and Jeremy’s heart melted. This felt right - this was where he was supposed to be. 

* * *

Correction: it was where Jeremy wanted to be. It wasn’t where he was _supposed_ to be.

Weeks passed, and summer waned into autumn. The temperature cooled a little, but Alfredo and Jeremy’s newfound affection for each other didn’t. Jeremy now spent each night in Alfredo's bed, and they frequently fell into one another’s arms. It helped to keep them warm as the nights became just the slightest bit colder, and Jeremy eagerly came to the task of finding how best to pleasure Alfredo. He wanted to worship him, and show him just how much he cared.

But it wasn’t all sex. There were shared looks over the anvil in Alfredo’s shop, hand brushes when they made dinner, and soft kisses as they relaxed for the evening.

Jeremy was head over heels for Alfredo, and he was absolutely fine with that. 

But then, on a day that they decided to make a trip out into the wilderness outside of their little town in search of ore, it all finally came back to Jeremy in the form of two men.

Jeremy stopped in his tracks as he spotted them ahead of him - one with curly hair, one with a thick beard, just like they were in his fuzzy memories. Alfredo continued ahead a couple of steps until their clasped hands tugged at his arm, and then he paused, frowning back at Jeremy.

“What’s wrong?”

Jeremy swallowed hard. “I know them,” he murmured. “Those two.”

Alfredo glanced over at them. Jeremy could feel Alfredo straightening up next to him, as if to protect him from the figures, but Jeremy already knew that that wasn’t necessary; he could feel a crackle of a connection between himself and the pair, some kind of instant recognition. He was teetering on the edge of finally remembering everything, he could feel it.

“Who are they?”

And then it all came rushing back.

“Demigods,” Jeremy breathed.

Alfredo stared at him. “Demigods?” he asked disbelievingly. 

But Jeremy was completely serious. He knew that he was right, that he could name them if Alfredo asked. He could feel their names on the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t dare to say them just yet - but either way, the two were approaching now, and they were smiling warmly, so it was only a matter of time.

Jeremy held tightly to Alfredo's hand. “They are,” he promised, his voice still low. “They’re the sons of-”

“Jeremy!”

He stiffened as the one with the curly hair called out his name. Jeremy knew he looked like a startled deer, but he couldn’t bring himself to even put on a brave face, not when everything was starting to seep back into his memories now.

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding,” the demigod said, rising up on his toes to look back at the little town behind them. “Not bad. Thank fuck you’re okay, though, we thought something had happened to you. Fuck, your dad was about ready to kill us.”

“We’re really sorry about… you know,” the other said, sheepish. “It was an accident.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Alfredo said, raising his other hand. “Hold on. What accident? His dad? Who are you?”

“I’m Michael,” the first one said, and then, jerking his thumb at the other, “and this is Gavin. Did Jeremy seriously not tell you anything?”

Alfredo squeezed his hand gently. “He didn’t remember anything,” he said. “His memories have been gone ever since he showed up here.”

The pair seemed to deflate slightly, their smiles sliding off of their faces. “Oh,” Gavin said. “Well. That explains things a bit, doesn’t it? We were waiting for him to just… reappear. Come back to Olympus.” 

“Come back to…” Alfredo trailed off, stunned into silence.

Jeremy was still finding it difficult to make his tongue work again under the weight of all of the memories, new to him, but centuries old. He remembered now what Michael and Gavin meant by an accident: they had all been messing around up there, up on Mount Olympus, and a momentary slip with powers had gone wrong. Jeremy had been cast down to Earth, and he could only assume that the shock of it had locked up his memories. 

Alfredo cleared his throat. “Right,” he said, “okay, demigods. I’m… holding hands with a demigod.” He raised an eyebrow at Jeremy. “So who should I be sucking up to? Which god is gonna bust down my door for dating their son?”

“Hephaestus,” Jeremy murmured, closing his eyes. “That’s why I was good at blacksmithing. I helped with it back upstairs.”

“Well, that’s pretty apt.” Alfredo chuckled - it sounded bizarrely normal for a man who had just discovered he’d been sleeping with a demigod. “And you two?”

“Hermes,” Michael said, raising his hand with a grin. “But it was Gavin’s fault Jeremy fell down here, you’ve got him to blame.”

“Oi!” Gavin shoved Michael’s side. “You bloody try controlling lightning-”

“Lightning?” Alfredo repeated.

Gavin rolled his eyes. “Come on, even you lot know Zeus likes to sleep around. He’s got hundreds of kids, I’m not special.” 

“So,” Michael said, cocking his head, “when are you coming home, Jeremy? Hephaestus said we had to bring you back ASAP, he needs his right hand man in the forge again. That, and I think we might be in some serious fucking trouble if we come back emptyhanded again.”

Jeremy frowned. “Again?”

“We’ve been all over Greece looking for you,” Gavin explained. “Hephaestus looked like he was about to chuck us in the bloody fire when we went back without you last time.”

But Jeremy wasn’t thinking about Olympus, or Hephaestus, or the fact that he had a place in the most prestigious forge in the universe. All he could think of was a little blacksmith shop in a relaxed town, with the sweetest man he had ever known - including all of the memories Jeremy had now regained. The fact that he could be back up on Mount Olympus amongst the gods didn’t matter to him, not now that he had Alfredo.

Jeremy stood firm. “I’m not leaving,” he said.

Michael stared at him. “What? Why?”

Rather than reply, Jeremy simply shuffled closer to Alfredo so they were side by side. 

Michael watched, and then just nodded once. “I see,” he sighed. 

“Jeremy…” Alfredo's soft tone drew Jeremy’s gaze upwards. His partner was frowning, and Jeremy could tell where his train of thought was going: Jeremy belonged up there with Hephaestus and he should go, not tie himself down to Earth with a mortal.

“Don’t,” Jeremy said. “I want to stay here.”

“Well, you can be the one to tell Hephaestus that,” Michael scoffed. “Come back and tell him yourself. I don’t want to spend eternity in that fucking fire, thanks.”

“Well, what about bringing Alfredo to Olympus with me?”

Gavin just shook his head. He looked a little sad. “Mortals don’t belong up there,” he said, “not while they’re alive. You’d have to try and ask Hephaestus about anything… after.”

Jeremy grimaced. He didn’t like the sound of that - and he especially didn’t want to entertain the thought of getting Alfredo's soul to Mount Olympus prematurely, if that was the only way to do it. Distantly, he heard Michael and Gavin murmur to themselves - “Let’s give him a minute” - and the crunch of dirt as they moved a few steps away. Jeremy was grateful for that much, at least; he wanted time to talk to Alfredo.

“I _will_ come back,” he promised, squeezing Alfredo's hands in both of his own. “I won’t leave you down here. I… I care about you too much.”

“Your place is up there,” Alfredo murmured. His thumbs rubbed little circles into the side of Jeremy’s hands, almost like he was trying to map out the way his knuckles moved under his skin. “You should be with Hephaestus, not with me.” 

“No.” Jeremy shook his head. “No, that doesn’t matter. I want to be here with you. I can find a way, I know it.” He paused for breath, trying to gather his thoughts. “I won’t be gone for long. Wait for me?”

Alfredo let out a breathy little laugh. “Jeremy, of course I’ll wait for you.”

Jeremy surged up to kiss him, almost bowling Alfredo off of his feet with the strength of it. Alfredo laughed into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Jeremy, holding him tight. Neither of them wanted to let go.

But they did, reluctantly. Jeremy lingered as much as he could before he released his grip on Alfredo, their fingers trailing after each other as he moved away to join the other demigods. Alfredo watched as Michael and Gavin welcomed him in with claps on the shoulder and bright smiles, and then in the blink of an eye, they were gone.

Alfredo stayed there for a few moments, waiting, watching. Then he turned and went home, the ore forgotten.

* * *

Jeremy had said he wouldn’t be long. He kept that promise.

It was only a handful of days before he returned. Alfredo had been sitting by himself at his table, eating a lonely dinner, when a familiar figure appeared in the doorway. He shoved his food aside in favour of launching himself at Jeremy and enveloping him in a hug again, and the pair laughed as they clutched at each other, determined never to let go now.

Over dinner, Jeremy explained that he’d bargained for his place on Earth - and, when the time came, for Alfredo's spot on Olympus. He’d made his case to Hephaestus, asking for the span of Alfredo's life on Earth in exchange for work for both of them in Hephaestus’ forge when their time on Earth was up. Jeremy had vouched for Alfredo's skill, and with the promise of two talented workers for one, Hephaestus had readily granted Jeremy his wish.

For now, they had all the time in the world to enjoy each other and Kephallonia. 


End file.
